Ever hear a classical cello and mystic vocals behind a dance track? Us either! Meet Lauren Mullinax, a singer-songwriter and cellist based out of Northern FL. Check out our interview with her and her latest single, “Over The Moon“.
M4B: Where did you come up with the title, “Over The Moon”?
Lauren: I was improvising on my cello and started singing the words Over The Moon over this rift I had made up on cello. That hook stuck to my memory and a month later I was thinking about things relating to the moon and I thought of the children’s book Goodnight Moon and thought also about what I call it’s sister book The Runaway Bunny and the lyrics just flowed out of me. So the song is based on nostalgic childhood memories and being over the moon with a childlike mind.
M4B: Are you planning to do a music video as well? Or just focusing on pushing the music itself for now?
Lauren: Yes I am planning to do a music video. I am trying to work with a film maker based out of Tampa Florida who has a few viral videos. But I am traveling quite a bit right now so the issue is finding the time to get together with him to film and edit it together.
M4B: How did you get started playing cello? How did it evolve into the unique sound like your latest single?
Lauren: I started playing cello in elementary school. I was in the 4th grade and heard the jaws theme played on cello by the kids taking the optional string class and so I decided that I would sign up to play cello for 5th grade. BEST DECISION EVER! Haha! My parents didn’t even know what a cello was!
There was a lot of evolving through the years. I was really bad at first and I ended up starting off very late in my class since we ordered my first cello off the internet and by the time it reached me, it was broken and we had to send it back and it took like a month for another one to be sent to me. So I struggled learning it because I was behind everyone else in my class. I was the late bloomer. One year, going into 8th grade, I went to an orchestra camp at FSU and we played music from movies such as Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings and it created a love for my cello and as time progressed on, I would rather improvise and perform to popular music and make up my own stuff rather then playing the typical classical music. During the years of learning music and many different stringed instruments, I also discovered a passion to help people who were suffering in hospitals and nursing homes and I spent many years as a hospice volunteer and I got to see music do some incredible healings and also just in general get peoples attention off of all the bad and onto something beautiful! As time went on I had developed a dream to create a new healing sound and potentially even a new genre of music. I started to experiment with frequencies by using effect and loop pedals in college, which was cool but I didn’t like the repetitiveness so I eventually just started doing my own thing and using an interesting technique of how I play cello and I noticed that the results are hauntingly beautiful. I spend a lot of time creating music and collaborating with other artists now but I have also been having lots of solo shows in various locations.
M4B: So since we’re also a food blog, I’ve got to ask a food question! Do you cook or are you more of an order out kind of chick? What’s your favorite take-out dish?
Lauren: I am totally an order out kind of chick. I am always on the go and never home. I am always hitting up a Chick-fil-a it seems for some chicken… and now with mac n cheese on the menu… I am in trouble because that’s my favorite two foods.
M4B: Do you have any plans to tour this year? You’re in a band as well right?
Lauren: Yes, I am relocating to tour with a band based out of Orlando FL. I auditioned back in May 2019 and got the position to be the new cellist for a band called Violectric and also a group called Fretless Rock that has light up instruments (violins/viola/cello). They do pop rock cover tunes and I am so excited for the opportunity because it is totally up my alley to what I already do as an artist. I will get to play a light up cello and strut around in high heels and wear a beautiful dress and rock out with top notch performers that have performed previously with artist such as Led Zeppelin, Lady Gaga, Pink Floyd, Beyonce, Josh Groban, just to name a few.
M4B: You also had one of your videos go viral a while back. Can you tell us a little about that?
Lauren: I want to first say MOO! I had a really funny cow video go viral. I was touring in Ireland and my friends decided to pull over on the side of the road and have me play to a field of cows and they slowly came up and got a little frisky there at the end. It is a really funny video worth watching. I still have people recognizing me from that video and saying how much they loved watching it.
You can find it at this link:
https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/videos/cows-cellist-irish-song/
M4B: Last question – where can everyone find you online? What’s your socials?
Lauren: I am a Facebook kind of girl. I never thought I would say that because in the days of switching from Myspace to Facebook back in 2008, I dreaded the change but it grew on me and now I have a huge network of friends from all around the world on there so I am always active on Facebook. You can find my music page by going to this link:
I am also very active on Instagram as well. I have it set up completely different than what you will see on Facebook. Fun fact, I am also really good with photography and love to capture beautiful scenes and sunsets and you might catch some underwater photos of me scuba diving! You can visit my instagram by going to this link:
M4B: Thanks so much for doing this exclusive interview! Looking forward to hearing more.
Lauren: Thank you! Adventure is out there! May the music continue to guide us into more adventures!
Clip of "Over The Moon"
